Geoff Morrell (born 19 February 1958) is an Australian actor.
Early life Morrell was born in Fairfield in Western Sydney, where his father was a schoolteacher. The family moved to Wollongong when Morrell was nine. He finished high school without doing well, academically. He subsequently worked at the Port Kembla Steelworks, but decided to repeat year 12, and after applying himself second time around, topped the HSC.
Morrell received a NSW Teacher's Scholarship and studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Wollongong. While studying, he made his stage debut as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest. He was also President of the Student Representative Council. He graduated in 1979.
Career Morrell began his career in theatre acting, becoming a founding member of the Theatre South organisation. In 1983, he briefly moved to England, featuring in a number of productions there.
In 1985, he branched into film acting, with a minor role in a telemovie version of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. Over the next few years, he moved between film and theatre, starring in productions such as Macbeth and King Lear, as well as several supporting roles in films, telemovies, miniseries and regular series. These included notable Australian films Blackrock and Oscar and Lucinda. He has had guest roles in the series The Secret Life of Us, Stingers and Farscape.
Morrell starred as Harry in Australia's first production of Michael Gow's play Away, which was performed by the Griffin Theatre Company and premiered at the Stables Theatre in Sydney on 7 January 1986.
After filming Oscar and Lucinda, Morrell won the role of forensic scientist Lance Fisk in the series Murder Call, which screened from 1997 to 1999. In 2000, he won one of his most significant roles to date, as the protagonist of the ABC series Grass Roots. The series was not renewed after the 2001 season, and Morrell followed this with a major role in the ABC telemovie Marking Time, as the father of a boy in love with an asylum seeker.
Morrell won the 2000 AFI Award for Best Actor for Grass Roots, and has been nominated four times, for Fallen Angels (1997), Grass Roots second series, Changi (2001) and Marking Time. He has been nominated for three Silver Logies for Grass Roots (first and second series) and Changi.
In 2004, Morrell made a move into the mainstream when he became one of four new actors to join the long-running police series Blue Heelers, on which he played Sergeant Mark Jacobs. In September 2004, there was speculation that the ABC would commission a third series of Grass Roots. However, Morrell stated that the ABC "may have missed its chance", and as he remained contracted to Blue Heelers, would likely not have been able to participate if the series did return. Due to family commitments, Morrell chose to leave Blue Heelers.
He has also been involved in the film Right Here Right Now. In 2010, Morrell made a return to ABC to star alongside Richard Roxburgh in the first series of Rake. Morrell played the role of Joe Sandilands, a fictional NSW Attorney-General involved in the inside wheeling and dealing of the NSW Labor.
In 2015, he appeared as Inspector Clive Small, in the two-part miniseries Catching Milat.
He appeared in the feature film Rogue, and Anthony Hayes' feature film debut Ten Empty. In 2010, he began work on the set of Cloudstreet, a television miniseries version of Tim Winton's novel. He plays the role of Lester Lamb.
Morrell has since appeared in numerous other productions including The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In 2023 Morrell was named as part of the cast in Foxtel drama High Country, and Stan series Thou Shalt Not Steal.
In 2024, Morrell was named as part of the cast for the Liam Neeson led The Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky. On 21 November 2024, Morrell was named for the second series of Mystery Road: Origin.
Personal life Morrell is married to Australian actress and NIDA alumni Caroline Brazier. They met while working on the 2007 Australian thriller Rogue, and were married in 2008.
He has two children together with his ex-wife Megan, whom he had married in the early 1980s.
Since 1995, Morrell has also been an accomplished visual artist, having held several solo exhibitions.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1992 The Girl Who Came Late (aka Daydream Believer) Brad Hislop 1994 No Worries Ben Bell 1996 Mr. Reliable (aka My Entire Life) Sergeant Campbell 1997 Blackrock Stewart Ackland Oscar and Lucinda Charley Fig 2000 Looking for Alibrandi Mr. Barton 2003 Ned Kelly Robert Scott 2004 Right Here Right Now Paul 2007 Lucky Miles Peter Coode Rogue Allen Smith 2008 Ten Empty Ross The View from Greenhaven Theodore 2009 Coffin Rock George 2010 Oranges and Sunshine Walter 2014 The Mule John 2017 Red Christmas Joe 2025 Ice Road: Vengeance Spike
Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 Lady Windemere's Fan Mr. Hopper TV film1986 The Bill Rod 1 episode The Monocled Mutineer Aussie Gas Mask 2 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules Alan Tillaman Season 4, episode 9 Captain James Cook Perry Miniseries, 3 episodes 1989 Round the Twist Porter 1 episode 1991 Strangers Frank TV movie The Flying Doctors Dr. Rex Waddington 1 episode 1993 G.P. Neil Gordon 1 episode 1994 Heartbreak High Allan Masters 1 episode 1995 Bordertown Bates Miniseries, 8 episodes Blue Murder Les Knox Miniseries, 1 episode 1996 Fallen Angels Jack Landers 6 episodes 1997–1999 Murder Call Det. Snr. Sgt. Lance Fisk 56 episodes 1998 Good Guys, Bad Guys Beckett 1 episode Never Tell Me Never Rehab Specialist TV movie2001 My Husband, My Killer Bob Richardson TV film BackBerner 1 episode The Secret Life of Us 2 episodes Changi Major Dr. Rowdy Lawson Miniseries, 6 episodes 2000–2003 Grass Roots Col Dunkley 18 episodes 2003 Farscape TR Holt 1 episode Stingers Ron Moore 1 episode Marking Time Geoff Fleming Miniseries 2004 Go Big Ian Patterson TV film 2004–2005 Blue Heelers Sergeant Mark Jacobs 59 episodes 2005 Second Chance TV film 2006 All Saints Chris Harrison 1 episode 2007 Curtin Ben Chifley TV film Bastard Boys Chris Corrigan Miniseries2008 Emerald Falls Jack Donnelly TV film Sea Patrol Lieutenant Commander Jack Freeman Season 2, 1 episode Bed of Roses Tibor Havel 4 episodes 2009 Rogue Nation John Macarthur 2 episodes Packed to the Rafters Tim Connelly 3 episodes 2010 Not Available Remington TV short film Rake Joe Sandilands Season 1, 7 episodes2011 Small Time Gangster Les Miniseries, 8 episodes Cloudstreet Lester Lamb Miniseries, 3 episodes Winners & Losers Paul Armstrong 4 episodes 2011–2012 Home and Away Geoffrey King 8 episodes 2012 Dripping in Chocolate Stuart Verger TV film2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Bob Ryan 1 episode Serangoon Road Sir Philip Tuckworth 1 episode 2015 Catching Milat Inspector Clive Small Miniseries, 2 episodes 8MMM Aboriginal Radio Dave Cross 6 episodes Open Slather Special Guest 3 episodes 2015–2016 Please Like Me Bruce 2 episodes2016 The Code David Banks Season 2, 6 episodes Deep Water Don Lustigman Miniseries, 2 episodes 2017 Top of the Lake: China Girl Ray – Pathologist 3 episodes Fucking Adelaide Geoff Miniseries, 2 episodes 2018 Nippers of Dead Bird Bay Judge 1 episode2019 Blue Water Empire Government Official Harrow Dr. Laurie Badcoe Season 2, 4 episodes 2022–2024 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Waldreg 7 episodes2023 Wolf Like Me Peter Stenning 2 episodes Compulsory Entertainment Uncle Pete 1 episode 2024 High Country Bryan Harris 7 episodesThou Shalt Not Steal Dick Miniseries, 2 episodes 2025 Mystery Road: Origin Phillip 6 episodes 2026The Killings at Parrish StationTony CookeTV series
Theatre